I Drove the 2025 Mercedes-AMG E53: Here's My Brutally Honest Review

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8 hours ago

A moment of nostalgia
Staring at the misty green metallic 2025 Mercedes AMG E53 Hybrid 4Matic+ sedan in the fading light of a summer's day in mid-state New York, I'm almost getting verklempt. You see, I own this car's father—or perhaps it's more accurate to say grandfather, the mighty 2005 E55 AMG.
Exactly two decades ago, that supercharged, no-nonsense beast was the fastest sedan in the world, and with its 5.4-liter V8 engine producing 469 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque, it could look at a Ferrari 550 Maranello and simply smirk.
The E53 is right at home in both town and country. —
Source: Marco della Cava
Back in its day, my 2005 E55 AMG was a world beater, so how will this E53 compare?
Today, our silver E55 AMG, which we bought with 36,000 miles in 2013, has around 126,000 miles on the clock and thousands in upkeep receipts, but it is still a wonderfully capable, safe, communicative, and entertaining machine to unleash on unsuspecting supercar owners. To say our two twentysomething boys adore it would be a grand understatement. Sure, the E55's 0 to 60 dash of 4.5 seconds pales in comparison to today's 2-second EV-and-ICE-powered blasts, but it's as swift as most mortals need a car, let alone a practical four-door with a truly massive trunk, to be.
In 2005, the Mercedes E55 AMG was one of the fastest cars on the planet. —
Source: Marco della Cava
The E53 features tech and touches that the old E55 could only dream about
All that to say, this brand new AMG E53 had some big emotional shoes to fill as I slipped its black fob into my pocket and hit the keyless start button. Over the next four days, I would come to appreciate the many technological advancements inherent in any car cobbled together in 2025, while also mulling what might have been lost in the process of turning an automotive hammer into a four-wheeled spaceship.
Design lines that say 'sports sedan' are marred only by one addition
Parked in an empty lot just off the New York State Thruway, the AMG E53 offers a lot to take in. From a distance, let's call it 25 feet, it's a marvelous design that combines true four-passenger practicality with enough taught design lines to set itself apart from Euro-peers such as the Maserati Ghibli, Audi A6, and Porsche Panamera.
The AMG E53 Hybrid 4Matic+ hits the road. —
Source: Mercedes-Benz
The nose is particularly arresting, with its large gaping mouth and three-pointed star emblem, and its various scoops, ducts, and spoiler cladding are a tactful balance between purposeful aero and boy-racer excess.
One nit here: I could do without the small wing on the trunk, as it likely doesn't add much downforce at normal driving speeds and detracts from one of the most special aspects of many AMGs, namely their very stealthy dual nature. For example, with our E55, you're not sure if I'm in an E350 until I've mashed the pedal and vanished. That's giddy fun, and a rear spoiler just telegraphs that surprise away.
A sedan with truly room for four adults is welcome these days
With room for four large adults, the AMG E53 offers no compromises as a sports sedan. —
Source: Marco della Cava
Inside, this press car came with a rather unsubtle two-tone leather, grey with black, that also detracts from the car's multiple personalities. The seating is sporty, which means on the firmer side, perhaps perfect for track time but less so on long highway cruises. You get the belabored point here: I adore cars that confuse you a bit, whose appearances suggest understated elegance while hiding Jekyll-and-Hyde fearsomeness.
But let's talk about the back seats. Praise Mercedes for not making this area an afterthought. In fact, there's more than plenty of room to host two large adults and even three medium-sized ones in a pinch. That's in contrast to, for example, another stunningly designed sedan, the Porsche Taycan, whose rear seat passengers risk bruised knees if the front passengers are six-footers.
Best to spend time reading the manual before sitting behind an E53 wheel
It's worth spending time with the AMG E53 manual before you take to the road, given the myriad of features. —
Source: Marco della Cava
For drivers, the cockpit of an AMG E53 is a serious place to be. The purposeful three-spoke steering wheel features the usual array of buttons and even touch-sensitive controls (for example, to make music louder, you slide a finger up that tab) that can seem a bit overwhelming at first glance.
That goes ditto for the circular steering wheel knobs that grant control over the car's myriad suspension and performance settings. It's worth a read up on all that before hitting the road to max out on this car's serious capabilities, all of which make my E55 seem like a frighteningly fast Fred Flintstone-mobile.
Obviously, it's 2025, so analog gauges of any kind are verboten. The screens front and center do all the communicating now. Yes, sorry, the sweep of a digital tach just doesn't compare with an old-school needle racing up to a painted red line, but that ship has long since sailed. Deal with it.
Yes, the AMG E63 is a sedan of a different stripe and price
The AMG E53 mates an inline six with electric power to deliver nearly 600 hp. —
Source: Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes AMG aficionados will know that for some years now, the flagship sedan has usually carried the name E63, not 53. That remains the case. The 2025 AMG E63 E Performance is a completely different beast than its little brother in many respects, from its price (loaded, it'll easily crest $220,000) to performance (a turbocharged V8 coupled with electric motors takes horsepower and torque to the 1,000 range, and 60 mph comes in 2.6 seconds).
The good news here is that those who want far more than a basic Mercedes four-door can park a bona fide AMG in their garage for far less money without feeling like they're driving something that pales in comparison.
For just over $100,000, the AMG E53 packs a lot of dazzle per dollar
Fully charged, the AMG E53 can run on electrons only for up to 42 miles. —
Source: Mercedes-Benz
Our test car started out at $88,000, which includes a 3-liter in-line six cylinder – a Mercedes hallmark for decades now – that is turbocharged and augmented by a plug-in hybrid engine that combines for 577 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque.
The car's electric battery can provide at full charge upwards of 42 miles of travel without waking up the gas engine, while also assisting said powerplant to an mpg efficiency of up to 59. No small thing with gas prices refusing to drop anytime soon. Also standard on this E53 was AMG Ride Control, which grants the driver access to a range of damper settings, from comfort to very firm. Additionally, it features rear axle steering to improve turn-in and the company's 4Matic+ four-wheel-drive system for enhanced security in inclement weather.
True track demons have a special E53 package waiting for them
The interior of the AMG E53 is both sporting and high-tech. —
Source: Mercedes-Benz
The usual complement of safety features is standard as well, including active brake assist and blind spot assist, as well as high beam and parking assist. However, a few items quickly drove the car's final price tag to $108,300, including the special two-tone leather interior, cross-spoke 21-inch rims, upgraded seating and trim, and the AMG Dynamic Plus Package, which offers a higher top speed, Race Start mode, and an enhanced exhaust sound. This is an AMG after all, so why not load up on racing fare?
The E53 is ready to deliver whatever on-road experience you want
Among the many luxury touches in the AMG E53 is the Burmester stereo. —
Source: Mercedes-Benz
So, at about half the cost of a loaded AMG E63, is the AMG E53 half the sedan? Not by a long shot. Time behind the wheel of this car, both during hours on a highway and winding farm-country roads, reveals that the car possesses the same dual nature as my E55, and even more so.
Where the old AMG from 20 years ago toggles between aggressive and angry, the AMG E53 is capable of truly deception. Keep everything in auto mode and you'll simply float to your destination accompanied by your favorite music wafting across the excellent Burmester stereo system. But dial in performance-mode settings and put your foot in it, and there is no mistaking the E53's connection to that storied AMG racing heritage.
Final thoughts
Parked in front of a traditional Ukrainian church in the Catskills of New York, the AMG E53 cuts a dashing figure. —
Source: Marco della Cava
For just over $100,000, there are a number of great four-door vehicles one could mull over, either in sedan, crossover, or SUV form. For those who still enjoy being closer to the pavement, sedans are the only way to go, and in that realm, one is hard-pressed to find a more versatile vehicle on the market.
Sure, my 2005 E55 feels a tad more like a caged beast than its 2025 counterpart, and perhaps would have more genetic connections to the current E63 hypersedan. But frankly, it's just fantastic to know that for true drivers, there remains a car out there that can both satisfy the wanna-be George Russell in you while also taking the kids to school and the grandparents to that recital.
So long live this Mercedes and all those wonderful wolves in sheep's clothing. All due respect to the growing legion of robocars, but machines like the AMG E53 make driving the joy that we all know it can and should be.
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Marco Della Cava View Profile